Unai Emery appears to have hinted that other Premier League clubs inflate their budgets following the guilty verdict on Manchester City.
In one of football’s biggest-ever stories, City have been found guilty by an independent commission on all of their charges in relation to Premier League financial rule breaches.
They are said to have arranged ‘sham contracts’ to artificially inflate revenue and reduce costs between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, with other charges being for noncooperation in the investigation.
City announced on Friday that they have launched an appeal against the verdict as they face the prospect of huge sanctions, which remain undecided, including a heavy points deduction and stripped titles.
It’s a monumental case that could affect the past, present and future of the English top flight, as well as the reputations of managers and players involved at the club during the investigated period of time.
However, Aston Villa boss Emery has suggested that City are not the only club that have gone against financial regulations.
Speaking to Diario de Sevilla on the verdict, via Mundo Deportivo, he said: “It’s an issue that was already known.
“Because we all have our restrictions, we have to sell players to comply with Financial Fair Play; we have to figure out how to draw up contracts with new players.
“Fair Play seeks financial balance so that what is generated is spent, and there is no inflation.
“Yes, many other clubs have inflated their budgets, and now it’s coming to light, and naturally there’s a decline.”
Emery added: “That’s something the courts and those in charge will have to decide.
“I feel sorry for how that team played. With (Pep) Guardiola, there were times when they were unbeatable.”
What is the latest on City and their charges?
Now that City have appealed, an appeal process is set to follow, and as per Premier League rules, a hearing must be held within 12 weeks.
This can only last five days, and then a decision will be due within 30 days of its conclusion.
As talkSPORT reported, City will argue that the so-called ‘tagged sponsorship payments’, which totalled £830million, came from the Abu Dhabi Government, not owners Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG).
This applies to state-controlled entities such as Etihad Airways and Etisalat, yet the former previously refuted funding from the Abu Dhabi Government as “false”.
But this defence has been contradicted by their title sponsor, Etihad.
In 2015, a lobbying coalition formed by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines called the ‘Partnership for Open and Fair Skies’ wrote to the United States departments of Commerce, Transportation and State.
They argued that Etihad had gained a competitive advantage by receiving huge sums from the Abu Dhabi Government.
A 2010 internal report that was written for Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahya, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, is cited, which does in fact claim that the Abu Dhabi Government, which was phrased as ‘Executive Council’, did cover the sponsorship of City.
City may be able to use this to their advantage during their appeal, but Etihad’s response was to flatly deny any government funding in relation to their deal with the club.
“The assertion that the Abu Dhabi Government paid for Etihad’s sponsorship of English Premier League football club Manchester City is equally false,” Etihad argued.
“In 2011 Etihad and Manchester City entered into a 10-year sponsorship agreement, which included naming rights for Manchester City’s stadium. Etihad funded this sponsorship from its own liquidity. It is not uncommon for airlines to have sponsorships with sports teams and their venues…
“We are government-owned and have been since our founding. We are and have always been clear that we do not receive any subsidies from the Abu Dhabi government, and that we are financed through a combination of equity, shareholder and commercial loans.
“Our shareholders’ equity and loans are not subsidies under any applicable definition; they are the means by which the Abu Dhabi government has sensibly invested in a successful business model.”